Pruner.



Pafanted Feb. 4, |902.

N VEN TOR A rToHNE ys Q Ir J. P. M. JOSEPH.

P R U N E R.

(Application lsd Jan. 15, 1901.)

(No Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN P. M. JOSEPH, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

jPRfUNER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 692,673, dated February 4, 1902.

` Application sled January 15,1901. serai Nb. 43,329. (No modem To @ZZ whom it may concern,.-

Be it known that I, JOHN P. M. JOSEPH, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the cityof New York, borough of Manhattan, inthe county and State of New York, have in- Vented a new and Improved Pruner, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to a pruning instrument adapted particularly for priming the branches of trees and Y high shrnbbery by means of which the gardener may stand on the ground and conveniently reach the branches notwithstanding that. they may be a considerable distance above his head.1 To this end the invention comprises certain peculiar parts forming pruning shears or blades. These parts are mounted on a pole,which may be of any length desired, and they are operated by ahand-lever arranged at the lower part of the pole in such a manner that the operation may be brought about by movement of the operators hands in the same manner that a pair of shears are worked.

This specification is a specific description of one form of my invention, while the claims are definitions of the actual scope thereof.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification,

in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure l is a side elevation of the invention with the pole broken away. Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2 2 of Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2, and Fig. 4 is a detail view of the guard, which will be hereinafter fully described.

a represents the pole, which may beconstructed of wood or any other suitable material. At the top of this pole is fastened rigidly a head b, which comprises a flat or platelike portion b and a projection b2, forming a ledger-blade. With ,this ledger-blade b2 c0- acts a shear-bade c, which has a circular tang c', mounted on' the dat or plate-like portion b ofthe head by means of a pin c2. The tang c of the blade c is also formed with gear-teeth c3, arranged concentrically to the pin c2 and meshed with corresponding teeth d on the circular butt d;a of an arm d, which lies flat against the plate-like portion b of the head and is pivotally mounted on a pin d3. A

spring e is coiled around the pins c2 and d3 and has its ends respectively engaged with the blade c and arm d. This spring serves to hold the partsc and din the position shown in Fig. l. Movement ofthe arm d downward from the position shown in Fig. l will cause the blade c to be moved upward against the ledger-blade b2, and by this movement the 6o cutting operation is performed, as will be apparent.

For the purpose of .causing the'blade c to move properly into engagement `with Jthe l ledger-blade b2, and thereby effectivelyand quickly cutting the branch, I employ'a small ball f, (see Figs. 2 and 3,) which ball is tted in a cavity b3 of the vhead b and forms virtually a sort of projection on the head. A stud might be employed instead of the ball; but 7o the ballmis vused, since it will reduce the frictionattending the operation of the parts. This ball f bears against an inclined surface c4 on the tang c of the blade c. When the blade is in the position shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, the ball fwill bear on the deepest portion of the inclined plane c4; but as the blade c moves toward theblade b2 the inclined portion c4 will run over the ball f, and the blade will thus be slightly twisted on its axis, caus- 8o ing the edge of the blade to bear firmly alongside the edge of the ledger-blade, and thus properly effecting the cut.v

For holding the blade c and the arm d snugly engaged with the part b of the head during the movement of the knife and arm I provide a guard g in the form of a threearmed spider, which is fastened rigidly to an elevated part b4 on the head b and the arms of which bear, respectively, on the arm d, the 9o, butt' d2 thereof, and the tang c of the shearblade. Now it will be clear that this guard being continually engaged with the moving parts will prevent lateral displacement thereof and keep the gears d and e8 properly 95 meshed. This guard g will not, however, prevent' the operation of the ball f and inclined planeet since the twisting movement of the shear-blade brought about by these parts will tend to throw inward the part of the tang c roo which is engaged by the guard g.

For operating the arm d I attach a cord, chain, or other suitable connection h to the end of the arm and pass the cord downward through an eye d', attached to the pole a. At the lower end of the pole the cord h passes around a guide-roller a2, mounted on a plate d3, which is attached to the pole aby screws, as shown. Fulcrumed on the plate d3 is a hand-lever ,which is connected with the cord h, as shown, so that by rocking the hand-lever on its fnlcrum, as shown, the cord may be drawn back and :forth and the arm d moved in the proper manner.

The operator while standing on the ground mayconveniently prune trees of considerable height. The pole @may be of any length desired, and, indeed, it is my purpose in making and Vendingthe invention to deliver the parts d3 and I) with the attached elements without the pole a, so as to permit the buyer to supply a pole of any length desired. Any number of poles of different length ma'y be kept on hand and used according to the Work to be performed.

By means of the arrangement of the handlever 'L' and the cord h, the latter with respect to the pulley a2 on the pole or handle ci., a person may readily operate the shear-blade by one hand-that is to say, by embracing the handle and the hand-lever and moving the hand-lever toward the handle.

Various changes in the form, proportions, and minor details of my invention may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention. Hence I consider myself entitled to all such variations as may lie within the scope of my claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent* l. A pruner, comprising a head with a flat surface and adapted to be attached to abandlo, the head having a ledger-blade thereon,

a shear-blade mounted on the head and bearing snugly against the lat side thereof, the shear-blade having gear-teeth thereon, an operating-arm pivoted on the flat side of the head and hearing snugly against the same, the operating-arm having teeth meshing with the teeth on the shear-blade, means for swinging the arm, and a guard fastened to the head and having spring-arms projecting over and engaging the shear-blade and the operatingarm to hold them properly in position.

2. In a prnner, the combination with ahead, comprising a ledger-blade, of a shear-blade mounted on the head, and a rolling member held by one of said parts and Working on an incline surface on the other part.

3. A pruner, comprising a head with a lat surface, the head having a ledger blade formed thereon, a shea r-blade mounted on the head and bearing snugly against the fiat side thereof, the shear-blade having gear-teeth, an operating-arm pivoted to the flat side of the head and bearing snugly against the same, said arm having teeth meshing with the teeth on the shear-blade, a guard fastened to the head and having spring-arms projecting over and engaging the shear-blade and the operating-arm, to hold them properly in position, a handle attached to the head, ahand-lever fulcru med on the handle, and a flexible connection between the hand-lever and the operating-arm.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specication n the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

JOHN P. M. JOSEPH.

Vitnesses:

I. B. OWENS, JNO. M. RITTER. 

